Harry, Hermione, and the Fifth Year Christmas!
by Alicia Jennings
Summary: Whose heart must Hermione break this Christmas - Viktor's or Harry's?
1. Default Chapter Title

Hermione, Harry, and the Fifth Year Christmas!  
Part One  
By Alicia Jennings  
December 15, 2000  
~  
Hermione is caught in between two guys...should she pick Harry or Viktor? Whose heart will she break this Christmas?  
~  
  
"Hermione, wake up."  
  
"Whassamatter?" came Hermione's sleepy voice.   
  
"Wake up, Hermione!" came Parvati's giggly voice. "Guess who's waiting downstairs for you!"  
  
"Who?" Hermione sat up, her hair a mess of tangles and knots. "All I want to do is get some sleep, Parvati."  
  
"And miss the Bulgarian hunk that awaits you in the common room?"  
  
Hermione's eyes immediately snapped open at the mention of a "Bulgarian hunk". "No. You're joking."  
  
"We're not," said Lavender, leaning over Parvati's shoulder. "He's down there. Seriously."  
  
"Great Wizards! I must look a fright! Girls, help me find something that I look semi-good in." Hermione jumped out of bed, grabbing a brush and raking it through her brown mane. "I can't believe that Viktor's here! I haven't seen him since this summer!"  
  
"I want his autograph," said Parvati.  
  
"I want his autograph, too." said Lavender.  
  
"I want his boxers," said Susan Moon. Hermione threw a pillow at her.  
~  
  
Harry and Ron awoke early, for some reason they couldn't figure out. But since they were up, they decided to go on down to the common room.  
  
"So, Harry, my boy," said Ron, chuckling, "When ARE you going to tell Hermione about-"  
  
"Shhhh!" Harry hissed. "You know how nosy Parvati is. She'll hear us."  
  
"So?" Ron scoffed, folding his arms over his chest. "It's about high time you told her."  
  
"I'm scared to."  
  
Ron doubled over in laughter, and Harry looked at him, puzzled. Finally, Ron caught his breath.  
  
"People would never believe it," he choked out. "Famous Harry Potter, who's faced He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named four times, is afraid to ask a girl out!" Ron started laughing again, as they entered the common room.  
  
"Would you shut up, please?" Harry begged. "You're going to attract attention to us." Ron reduced his laughter to small chuckles, and they sat down.  
  
"Hey, Ron. There's someone that will stop your laughing." Harry pointed to a dark figure in the corner.  
  
"No..."  
  
"Yep." Harry nodded in the figure's direction. "That'd be Mr. Krum himself."  
  
"Stupid, son of a-"  
  
"Shush!" Harry hissed, because Hermione was coming down the stairs. She looked georgeous today, with her hair in curls and wearing a long, spaghetti-strap purple dress.  
  
"Uh, Herm?" Ron asked tentatively, "It's December. Aren't you going to freeze?"  
  
"Nonsense!" Hermione exclaimed, laughing airily. "That's what sweaters are for." She held up a matching purple sweater. "Ah, there's Viktor!" She started waving her arms like a maniac, while Ron shook his head.  
  
"Herm-own-ninny! How long it hass veen svince I haff seen my sveet!" Krum kissed Hermione lightly on her cheek. "Ah, 'Arry. It is nice to see you again." They shook hands, Harry forcing a smile. "And Mr. Weazzley! It is a pleasure."  
  
Ron gave a forced smile, too. Viktor didn't see it, but Hermione mouthed to Harry and Ron, "What's wrong?" Harry simply shook his head, and Hermione and Viktor walked out of the common room.  
~  
  
Hermione sighed as she and Viktor began the long journey to the Great Hall. "What is vrong, darling?" Viktor asked, his eyes narrowed.  
  
"It's nothing....well....yes, it's something." She accepted Viktor's hand as he led her down a spiraling staircase. "Viktor, I'm worried about Harry...Voldemort-" Viktor visibly flinched right here, because Hermione had given up on saying "You Know Who". "He's back, Viktor. Don't listen to anyone else, who says he's not. He's the one who killed Cedric in the third task."  
  
"Herm-own-ninny, it is zimpossible. 'Arry reduced him to nozzingness fourteen years ago."  
  
Hermione looked down. "Viktor, you can believe what you like. But nothing will make me change my mind...As soon as he came out of the maze, I knew."  
  
Viktor and Hermione entered the Great Hall, earning many envious looks. "Sveetheart, how is it zat you and 'Arry met?"  
  
Hermione shook her head, and laughed. "Why do you want to know?" she asked, sitting down at the Gryffindor table and motioning Viktor to do the same.  
  
"Curviosity, I imagine." Viktor picked up his fork. "Please explain, Hermi."  
  
With that, Hermione began the story of how she, Ron, and Harry were basically enemies in their first few weeks of school. Viktor had a good chuckle over how bossy she had been in their first year. When Hermione got to the troll in the bathroom, she found herself thinking back to the moment when she first *really* looked Harry in the face. Cold chills creeped up her spine.  
  
"My sveet, are you cold?"  
~  
  
"Harry....earth to Harry....Harry...awaken, Boy Who Lived...HARRY JAMES POTTER!"  
  
"Huh?" Harry stopped staring at Hermione and Viktor, who were sitting a few chairs down from he and Ron. "Ron, not you too..."  
  
"Doing what?" Ron asked innocently, taking a bite of oatmeal.   
  
"Calling me 'The Boy Who Lived'. It's annoying."  
  
"You know you love the attention."  
  
"Yeah, right."  
  
"See? You just admitted it."  
  
"Admitted what?" came Hermione's voice. She had risen from her chair and come to them. "Is it about a girl?"  
  
Ron burst out in laughter again, and Harry hit him on the back of his head. "Yeeeeeeow!" Ron shrieked. "And I thought breaking my leg hurt!"  
  
"Wimp," said Harry.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione scolded.  
  
"It's his fault!"  
  
"Is not!" Ron retorted. "You told me."  
  
"Told him what?" asked Hermione, curious.   
  
"He likes you!" blurted Ron. "He has since first year!"  
  
Hermione gasped. Quite audibly. The whole of Gryffindor table, plus Viktor, turned toward her. "Uhhh......I......uhh......gotta.......go. Yeah, that's it." She turned, and ran out of the Hall. Viktor came over.  
  
"What is zee matter with Herm-own-ninny?" he asked, frowning.  
  
"Nothing," Ron answered tersely. "Wanna go play Quidditch, Harry?" he asked, as Viktor walked away.  
  
"Can't," Harry answered miserably. "Dumbledore won't let me out of the castle without an adult escort."  
  
"Let's go play chess, then."  
  
"I can't hardly concentrate on eating right now, let alone chess," Harry snapped. "I'm going to go have some time alone, okay?"  
  
"Okay."   
  
Harry trudged back up to Gryffindor Tower, where he extracted his photo album from under his bed. Smiling up at him were his parents. "Mum..Dad...what do I do? Voldemort's back...and here I am, worried about a girl. But...I mean....people think I'm so perfect, that I'm the one who always saves the day. But I can't do anything right."  
  
"Yes you can." came a voice. Harry turned from the photo album.   
~~  
  
CLIFFIE! Nanananabooboo! Sorry, I'm really nervous and hyper..the puppet musical is in approximately 3 HOURS!!!!! I'M GONNA DIE! I DON'T KNOW THE SCRIPT! Er, sorry.  
  
Sirius: It'll be OK. I'll come and help you!  
  
Alicia: Uhoh. Review, please.  
  



	2. Default Chapter Title

Hermione, Harry, and the Fifth Year Christmas!  
Part Two  
By Alicia Jennings  
~  
  
"Susan?" Harry whispered. "How much of that did you hear?"  
  
"Enough." she answered simply, sitting beside him on the four-poster. "Harry...why can't you just talk to Hermione? I don't like this Viktor dude. I have a feeling that his relationship to Hermione is all talk and no love."  
  
"I'm sure it is," Harry answered bitterly. "But what can I do about it? Nothing."  
  
"Harry! Yes you can! TALK to her!" Susan was exasperated. "Okay. I'm going to make this very, very, VERY simple. Come with me."  
  
"Why?" Harry was dragged to the door.   
  
"I know where Hermione is. And I'm gonna make you talk to her, 'cause I can't get a straight answer to why she's so upset."   
  
"Su-SAN!"  
  
"Shush!" Susan hissed, "Or I'll curse you so bad, you'll be barely recognizable. And that's something to say, since you're the most famous wizard alive."  
  
"Haha," Harry said sarcastically.  
  
Susan continued to drag Harry and his protests out of Gryffindor Tower, down one hall, then another, to a broom closet, which she opened. A small figure with curly brown hair was huddled in a corner.  
  
"Hermione?" Harry whispered. "What's wrong?"  
  
Hermione turned toward him, mascara smudged around her eyes. "Harry....." She burst into tears.   
  
Harry, forgetting about Susan, rushed towards Hermione to comfort her. "Shh....it's okay." He smoothed her hair. "Herm, what's wrong?" At this moment, he noticed that Susan had left and closed the door.  
  
"Harry.....Viktor....." Hermione sniffed. "Viktor's been seeing Pansy Parkinson all this time."  
  
Harry choked. "Pansy. Pug-nosed, ignorant Pansy?"  
  
"Uh-huh...." Hermione leaned her head on his shoulder. "I feel so awful! Him choosing Pansy over me...." She snorted. "Some Christmas present. I feel so low..."  
  
"Don't. I think you're the greatest."   
  
***  
Intermission-  
A note from the author: OKAY, people. We owe Harry a little privacy, since this is his first kiss, and I'm going to tell you why. I was talking to my b/f one day.....BEFORE we started going out....and I recieved my first kiss. UNFORTUNATELY, the biggest blabbermouth in school was listening through the door, and wanted to know why it got so quiet all of the sudden. Okay? SEE my position on this issue? Ahem. Are they done yet? Come up for air....UP for air....there ya go.  
Intermission over-  
***  
  
Harry sat, kind of stunned at what he had done. Hermione laughed, shakily. "I guess for every bad Christmas present, there's a good one too."  
  
"Mmhmm."  
  
"Harry?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Can we get out of this closet before rumors fly?"  
  
"Aww, who cares about them?"  
  
"True."  
~  
  
At about 2am, Harry and Hermione appeared in the common room, hand-in-hand and giggly.  
  
"Well, it's about bloody time!" exploded Ron. "We were worried!"  
  
Susan looked at them quizically. "Were you in that closet all this time?"  
  
Lavender joined in. "Closet?"  
  
So did Parvati. "Oooh! May I ask what happened?"  
  
"Thanks, Susan," Hermione said sarcastically.  
  
"Anytime."  
~  
  
Christmas Day  
  
~  
  
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!" yelled Hermione, running into the boy's dorms. They were empty except for Harry and Ron.  
  
"Merry Christmas, Herm," said Harry sleepily, poking his head out of the curtains to give her a kiss.  
  
"Oh GUYS," said Ron, "Can you save it? Let's open some presents in the common room. Give us five minutes, okay, Herm?"  
  
"FIVE minutes. And then I'm starting without you." Hermione skipped out to the common room.  
  
Harry and Ron, knowing that Hermione was serious, quickly donned their robes and ran combs through their hair. Harry seized his gifts for Hermione and Ron, then dashed downstairs, Ron on his heels.  
  
Hermione, once again, looked georgeous today. Her curly hair was pulled back, and she was wearing her regular school robes. For some reason, Harry thought she looked angelic. Maybe that's just love.  
  
"Ooooh! I've got your presents." Hermione held out two packages. "Merry Christmas!" She gave the two each a kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Hey!" said Harry, in mock jealousy. Hermione laughed, and accepted her package from him. There was a ton of flying paper, and then....  
  
"Wow! Thanks, Harry! A pair of dress robes that aren't maroon!" -Ron  
  
"Hermione! Another book on Quidditch! Thanks, my old one's about worn out..." -Harry  
  
"Ron! These earrings are beautiful!" -Hermione  
  
"Hey, Herm! These pumpkin pasties weren't made by house elves, were they?" -Ron  
  
"Oh, wow, Ron! Thanks, this candy will be good for my summer stash...." -Harry  
  
And then, it was time for Hermione to open her gift from Harry. Slowly, she unwrapped the small box. It was a ring, with a heart in the middle of the circle.   
  
"Merry Christmas, Hermione. I love you."  
~  
  
Author's Note:  
  
Okay. I've got a few thanks to ALL OF YOU this Christmas!  
  
First of all, thanks for staying with me. Some of my first stories were kinda crappy, but they got better with experience. And I would have never continued if I didn't know a few of you were sitting on the edge of your seats, wanting to know what happens next! I've got a few special thanks-I'm not favoring, just have some more to say.  
  
Burrow Girl- Thanks for being the first to read "The Power of Love" and suggesting a few changes.  
  
Lily McCleary: Not only are you a reader, you're a friend! Thanks so much for being there.  
  
Kammie: What can I say? You're great! Go for your dreams!  
  
Crazy Poet: Not only do you keep up an online school, you find time to read my stuff! Thanks!  
  
Katelyn: You poor dear. :-) My BestFriend(TM) who has to put up with me asking her, "Should I-" "What about THIS for a story?" Love ya! Remember the SpumbleChuzz and ChumbleSpuzz!  
  
Kara: I feel sorry for you too, since you're also my BestFriend. :-) I think you thought I was crazy at first, but then I let you read some of my stories, and then you understood my obsession..... :-) Thanks for always being there ever since third grade. "I pwomise to be best fwiends fowever and ever..."  
  
To everyone: I LOVE YOU ALL! Just because I didn't mention you by name CERTAINLY doesn't mean you're not important! Thanks so much for always being there. May God bless you this Christmas, and have a happy New Year!  
  
Sirius: Merry Christmas, Alicia!  
  
Alicia: Merry Christmas, Sirius. Merry Christmas everyone!  
  
-Alicia  
  



End file.
